Monday, January 26, 2009

Double Sided Door Snake

So i know you've seen this on TV--i know you, you late night lurkers! Anyway, amidst your Star Trek Reruns and Knitting shows, you may have seen an ad for a door snake that covers both sides of the door, and thought--well hell, i could MAKE that. Guess what? it's even easier than imagined. Took me the total of 30 minutes--and i was stopping to take pics so that i could make this tut! Easy as pie, my friends!

First step--material. Since i was doing this from scratch, I went to my stash to find a piece big enough to use, and ugly enough that i didn't care if it got trashed. I found this fleece remnant and figured it was perfect. This was for a door most wouldn't see, so I didn't care too much about looks. In hindsight, this was a good choice, simply because the fleece was super easy to work with, and is great for keeping out the cold! BTW---I found this piece in the remnant cart at JoAnn's--for a song! If you don't need a huge piece, and aren't looking for a particular color, the remnant pile is THE place for fleece.

Anyway, i had previously measured the door (36" wide and 2" thick). I have no idea is this is standard, so measure your own door! Add 16 inches to the thickness. Now, add 1 inch to both the length and width of this piece for seam allowances and you've got your rectangle. Mine measured 19x37. In hindsight, I should have added one more inch to the length of my design--I've got a small gap at one end. Measure twice, cut once--works for sewing too! Once you've got your piece cut, serge your ends. If you're using fleece, it really isn't necessary, but i liked the look of a finished edge.

Ok. Now, on each long side, fold over 4.5 inches (This will make a thick snake. If you want thinner, change your initial measurements. I added 8" on either side of the 2" door width. Draw this out if it helps--for a thinner snake, change that 8" measurement. 4" would be good.) Once that is folded over, pin it down and stitch 1/2" from the raw edge. Then sew 1/4" from the edge fro a strong double seam. Shortening your stitch will make a tighter seam so your filling won't have a chance to leak. My machine has a few quilting stitches, so i used the piecing stitch. Repeat this for the other side. Once the two long ends are done, use this seam for one end. I also serged the end to tidy it up--you know how fleece can shift...

Here comes the fun part. Get a piece of cardstock or sturdy but flexible cardboard. Curl it sot hat you have a cone, and insert the small end into one tube and release. Instant funnel! I filled my tubes with kitty litter (cheap and it absorbs odor!) but you can use rice or some other heavy filler. I figured the kitty litter was cheaper. I just scooped it into the tube until I had about 1.5 space left, jiggled it a bit to get some leverage on the open end, dragged it over to the machine and stiched. Repeat for the other tube, and then, of course, the ubiquitous serge to tidy up the end. Voila! One completed double door snake!

*some ladies on SewForum suggested using pipe insulation instead of kitty litter! Fantastic idea. then you wouldn't have to seal the ends, and you could slip out the insulation to wash these when needed! Thanks for the great idea ladies!

Now, slip it under your door and you've got a door snake that moves with the door, and doubles your draft protection! If you're worried about chewy pets, give it a quick spray with apple bitters, and they will leave it alone. Once you've got it installed, make yourself a hot drink and relax. You're heating bills are decreasing already!

By the way--what to do with the fleece you have leftover? What about reusable swiffer cloths?